Canada bans the captivity and breeding of orcas, dolphins and other whales
The Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, first introduced in 2015, outlaws the practice, as well as the trade, possession, capture and breeding of cetaceans.
Flora & fauna
Indian state Madhya Pradesh breaks Guinness World Record, plants 66 million trees in just 12 hours
Madhya Pradesh created a new Guinness World Record after 1.5 million volunteers planted more than 66 million tree saplings within half a day along the Narmada river.
Philippines passes law requiring students to plant 10 trees to graduate
The law formalises a tradition of planting trees upon graduation, which is also hoped to simultaneously combat global climate change.
China postpones plan to lift the 25-year ban on endangered animals
Environmentalists said that lifting the ban could have devastating effects for rhinoceros and tiger populations. Yesterday, the Chinese Government postponed plans to lift this ban.
The Belize Barrier Reef – the world’s second largest coral reef – is removed from endangered list
The World Heritage Committee credited Belize’s safeguarding measures as the cause for the historic conservational victory.
New facial recognition software tracks and protects endangered primates
Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) developed a facial recognition software program that could help save the lives of endangered primates.
21 major tech companies band together to stop wildlife trafficking
The Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online was launched by TRAFFIC, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and includes companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Instagram, and Alibaba.
The Giant Panda is no longer listed as endangered
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced the positive change to the giant panda’s official status in the Red List of Threatened Species, pointing to the 17 per cent rise in the population in the decade up to 2014.